Come Away With Me
by BethyBoo97
Summary: Based just before Zoe left.


"Zoe, I love you, you know." His words hit her and suddenly the jumble of thoughts and feelings buzzing around like an annoying fly in both her head and heart made sense. He stared at her, waiting for some kind of response, the love he felt for her clear in the way he looked at her and so evidently laced through his words. Instead of replying she walked back towards Max, he appeared shocked, he didn't know what he expected having declared his love to Zoe but whatever it was, it was not this. The tears that had previously been as obvious as day in her eyes had now all but vanished and had been replaced by her dazzling smile.

"I have to go Max." Zoe began, seeing Max's eyes cloud over with confusion as to why she was making their parting so much more difficult than it already was.

"I know you do Zo, I just needed you to know that I love you before you go." Max told her, seeing her face further light up, laughing slightly as he looked more confused than she'd ever seen him before.

"Come with me." She spoke suddenly, her thoughts having collected themselves and decided that this was the best way. She loved him too, she didn't know how it'd happened but here she was in love with someone not far off 10 years younger than her with no money and yet everything had slotted into place, she loved him and now it seemed almost impossible to deny it. Her mind hadn't quite gotten to how everything would work out but she was willing to let that go, to make it up as they went along as long as he was with her.

"Are you thinking straight? Earlier you wanted nothing more to do with me." Max replied, his heart breaking all over again as he relived the moment in his head.

"It was earlier that I wasn't thinking Max, I don't know how you managed it but you've somehow made me fall so deeply in love with you that I don't know how to be without you now, it just took until you told me you loved me to realise it. I don't want to be without you, you were right, I need a break but you were also right that holidays on your own are boring. Come with me?" Zoe repeated, her heart sinking further and further with every second that he didn't reply.

"What about work?" Max asked, stepping a little closer towards her, close enough that she could now feel his breath against her cheeks.

"Resign and use your leave to cover your notice." She told him as if this was all so simple.

"I have no money to go away Zo." Max whispered in her ear, making her brain stop working and her heart skip a beat at his closeness.

"Well I have more than enough, I'll sort it all just say yes." She replied, taking a step backwards so he could make a proper decision and not one that was influenced by his need for her, she knew that she'd be devastated if he said no but this was a decision that was purely down to him and it needed to come from him. He took a step closer to her, sealing the gap between them that she'd just made, he reached down so that his lips could find hers.

"Yes." He replied between kisses, not caring that Lofty was now beside them. "There's nothing I want more, I'd go wherever and do whatever as long as you were right next to me, I love you Zoe Hanna." He told her, the smile on his face reflecting the one on hers.

"Erm…" Lofty interrupted, not sure what to make of what he'd just witnessed.

"I think you have some goodbyes to say Max, I'll wait for you in the car." Zoe spoke, pressing her lips to Max's for a second before walking off.

"What was that?" Lofty asked awkwardly.

"Can you go and get Robyn, I need to say something to you both?" Max asked, receiving a nod from Lofty as he walked back towards the pub, leaving Max to sit on one of the benches outside.

"What is it Max? Lofty said it seemed serious." Robyn called as she walked outside and saw Max at a bench, Robyn sat down beside him sensing it was, as Lofty had said, serious. Lofty sat opposite the siblings, keeping quiet about what he'd seen.

"Stay here one minute." Max spoke, getting up and running towards Zoe's car.

"Max, you haven't changed your mind, have you?" She asked warily, winding the window down to talk to him.

"I want to do everything with you beside me, that's what love is. That starts now. You asked me to come with you, but first I need you to come with me." He told her and then watched as the window went back up and she stepped outside of the car. He took her hand immediately and led her back over to where he'd left Robyn and Lofty.

"What is this Max?" Robyn asked, gesturing to their intertwined hands.

"This is what I wanted to tell you about, you know all those months back when you found a pair of shoes on my floor, it wasn't an air hostess, it was Zoe. I love her and she loves me." He began, not letting it sink in before he dropped the next part of the bombshell. "That wasn't the main part though, I'm quitting work and we're going away for a while, we haven't worked out how long for or where we're going but I hope you understand. I really do love Zoe and I can't let her go now."

"You're serious about her." Robyn thought out loud.

"I've never been so serious about anything or anyone before." He replied, as Zoe lent further into him causing him to wrap his arm around her as Zoe rested her head on his shoulder.

"And you're serious about him?" Robyn asked, moving her questioning to her brother's partner.

"Yes, I love him Robyn. I know that this must be more than a little weird for you but I hope one day you can accept us. I care about him more than anything, I love him."

"Then I do accept this, on one condition."

"Name it." Max replied quickly, eager for his sister to accept his new relationship before he left.

"Keep in contact."


End file.
